This invention relates to an antitheft locking device for clothes, and, more particularly, to an antitheft locking strap which can be used with conventional clothes hangers and clothing hang straps.
Theft is an increasing problem in clothing stores. The primary concern of a store owner is the professional thief who steals a large number of clothes simultaneously by encircling the clothes with his arms and lifting the clothes, hangers and all, from the clothes rack. A great number of expensive coats, dresses, and other articles of clothing can be stolen in this manner in a matter of seconds. Some thieves operate by removing the clothing from the hanger, leaving the hanger on the rack. This technique is often used by shoplifters who are interested in only one or a few items.
Theft of clothing can be prevented by locking the clothing in some manner to the clothes rack or some other fixture. This solution is unsatisfactory, however, because customers must be able to remove the clothes in order to try them on. Any antitheft device which substantially interferes with the removability of the clothing may discourage a customer from sampling enough items to induce a purchase.
Both types of theft can be substantially prevented by an antitheft device which retards the removal of the hanger from the rack or the removal of the clothing from the hanger while still permitting relatively easy removal for legitimate purposes. Both the professional thief and the occasional shoplifter rely on speed to accomplish his objective and even a slight delay is often sufficient to dissuade the thief from completing the job.
The invention provides an antitheft device which releasably locks the hanger to the rack and the clothing to the hanger. The device can be manipulated to permit either the hanger or the clothing to be removed for authorized purposes, but the locking device restrains removal sufficiently to discourage theft. The locking device is attached individually to the hanger and to the clothing, and either article may be unlocked as desired. No special hangers or fixtures are required, and the device can be used with conventional hangers and does not require any alteration to the clothing.